Revelation 5
Contemporary English Version
The Scroll and the Lamb
5 (A) In the right hand of the one sitting on the throne I saw a scroll[a] that had writing on the inside and on the outside. And it was sealed in seven places. 2 I saw a mighty angel ask with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it.
4 I cried hard because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. 5 (B) Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying and look! The one who is called both the ‘Lion from the Tribe of Judah’[b] and ‘King David's Great Descendant’[c] has won the victory. He will open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 (C) Then I looked and saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb looked as if it had once been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[d] of God, sent out to all the earth.
7 The Lamb went over and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. 8 (D) After he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders knelt down before him. Each of them had a harp and a gold bowl full of incense,[e] which are the prayers of God's people. 9 (E) Then they sang a new song,
“You are worthy
to receive the scroll
and open its seals,
because you were killed.
And with your own blood
you bought for God
people from every tribe,
language, nation, and race.
10 (F) You let them become kings
and serve God as priests,
and they will rule on earth.”
11 (G) As I looked, I heard the voices of a large number of angels around the throne and the voices of the living creatures and of the elders. There were millions and millions of them, 12 and they were saying in a loud voice,
“The Lamb who was killed
is worthy to receive power,
riches, wisdom, strength,
honor, glory, and praise.”
13 Then I heard all beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying,
“Praise, honor, glory,
and strength
forever and ever
to the one who sits
on the throne
and to the Lamb!”
14 The four living creatures said “Amen,” while the elders knelt down and worshiped.
Footnotes
- 5.1 scroll: A roll of paper or special leather used for writing on. Sometimes a scroll would be sealed on the outside with one or more pieces of wax.
- 5.5 ‘Lion from the Tribe of Judah’: In Genesis 49.9 the tribe of Judah is called a young lion, and King David was from Judah.
- 5.5 ‘King David's Great Descendant’: The Greek text has “the root of David” which is a title for the Messiah based on Isaiah 11.1,10.
- 5.6 the seven spirits: Some manuscripts have “the spirits.”
- 5.8 incense: A material that produces a sweet smell when burned. Sometimes it is a symbol for the prayers of God's people.
Revelation 5
Living Bible
5 And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne, a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, and sealed with seven seals. 2 A mighty angel with a loud voice was shouting out this question: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and to unroll it?” 3 But no one in all heaven or earth or from among the dead was permitted to open and read it.
4 Then I wept with disappointment[a] because no one anywhere was worthy; no one could tell us what it said.
5 But one of the twenty-four Elders said to me, “Stop crying, for look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, and proved himself worthy to open the scroll and to break its seven seals.”
6 I looked and saw a Lamb standing there before the twenty-four Elders, in front of the throne and the Living Beings, and on the Lamb were wounds that once had caused his death. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God, sent out into every part of the world. 7 He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting upon the throne. 8 And as he took the scroll, the twenty-four Elders fell down before the Lamb, each with a harp and golden vials filled with incense—the prayers of God’s people!
9 They were singing[b] him a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it; for you were slain, and your blood has bought people from every nation as gifts for God. 10 And you have gathered them into a kingdom and made them priests of our God; they shall reign upon the earth.”
11 Then in my vision I heard the singing of millions of angels surrounding the throne and the Living Beings and the Elders: 12 “The Lamb is worthy (loudly they sang it!), the Lamb who was slain. He is worthy to receive the power, and the riches, and the wisdom, and the strength, and the honor, and the glory, and the blessing.”
13 And then I heard everyone in heaven and earth, and from the dead beneath the earth and in the sea, exclaiming, “The blessing and the honor and the glory and the power belong to the one sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever.” 14 And the four Living Beings kept saying, “Amen!” And the twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped him.
Footnotes
- Revelation 5:4 with disappointment, implied.
- Revelation 5:9 singing, literally, “saying,” or “said”; also in vv. 11-12.
Revelation 5
Amplified Bible
The Scroll with Seven Seals
5 I saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, closed and sealed with seven seals.(A) 2 And I saw a strong angel announcing with a loud voice, “Who is worthy [having the authority and virtue] to open the scroll and to [a]break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in Hades, the realm of the dead] was able to open the scroll or look into it. 4 And I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look into it. 5 Then one of the [twenty-four] elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look closely, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome and conquered! He can open the scroll and [break] its seven seals.”(B)
6 And there [b]between the throne (with the four living creatures) and among the elders I saw a Lamb (Christ) standing, [bearing scars and wounds] as though it had been slain, with seven horns (complete power) and with seven eyes (complete knowledge), which are [c]the seven Spirits of God who have been sent [on duty] into all the earth.(C) 7 And He came and [d]took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb (Christ), each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of fragrant incense, which are the prayers of the saints (God’s people). 9 And they sang a new song [of glorious redemption], saying,
“Worthy and deserving are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.(D)
10
“You have made them to be a kingdom [of royal subjects] and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth.”(E)
Angels Exalt the Lamb
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and [the voice] of the living creatures and the elders; and they numbered myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands (innumerable),(F) 12 saying in a loud voice,
“Worthy and deserving is the Lamb that was sacrificed to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
13 And I heard every created thing that is in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in Hades, the realm of the dead] or on the sea, and everything that is in them, saying [together],
“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb (Christ), be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”(G)
14 And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped [Him who lives forever and ever].
Footnotes
- Revelation 5:2 When the seals are broken, the consummation of history, focused in the judgments, is unveiled.
- Revelation 5:6 The Lamb is Jesus Christ, who stands “between,” in other words both as one with God upon the throne and as one with humanity around the throne.
- Revelation 5:6 See note 1:4.
- Revelation 5:7 Lit has taken. This is the Greek perfect tense, which John sometimes uses to emphasize the lasting significance of an action or event.
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